


A Man's Best Friend

by icandrawamoth



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Legends - All Media Types
Genre: Animals, Gen, Hoth, Tauntauns, Teasing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-17
Updated: 2018-04-17
Packaged: 2019-04-23 23:26:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 790
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14343180
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/icandrawamoth/pseuds/icandrawamoth
Summary: The smell may be a little strong, but the tauntun pen seems to be the one place on this frozen hellhole Luke has found that manages to constantly maintain a comfortable temperature. And, honestly, after the first few times, he barely even noticed the smell.





	A Man's Best Friend

**Author's Note:**

  * For [GreenieMerry](https://archiveofourown.org/users/GreenieMerry/gifts).



> For GreenieMerry, who liked the idea of Luke reading to his tauntaun. <3

Luke has grown used to more temperate climates in the three years since leaving Tatooine, but even so, Hoth is a whole other thing entirely. The air is so cold it _burns_ , even through all the layers of jackets and down parkas. He even wears most of that to bed, lest he freeze beneath the blankets during the night, and don't even get him started on bathing or changing in the frigid air.

Which is why he's taken to spending a lot of his free time curled up in a corner of the tauntaun pens. The smell may be a little _strong_ , but it seems to be the one place on this frozen hellhole he's found that manages to constantly maintain a comfortable temperature. And, honestly, after the first few times, he barely even noticed the smell.

Plus, he likes the tauntauns. They don't seem to mind his presence. Most of them ignore him completely, but the one he usually rides on patrol seems to like him well enough, and today she's come to rest beside him, nudging at him curiously as he works at a report on his datapad.

“Watch it, girl,” Luke laughs as he pushes her nose away from the screen once again, mopping at the goo she's left behind with his sleeve. The animal grunts, nosing at his shoulder, and he sets the device down to scratch her neck. “Am I not paying enough attention to you?” he coos. He rubs at her thick fur for long moments, listening with a smile as she gurgles happily.

“I really do need to finish this report, though,” Luke apologizes eventually, taking his hand back and picking up the datapad again. It's not an especially difficult report, just some short missives on how training is coming along on the squadron's new pilots, but he'd gotten in hot water over not properly formatting the last documents he sent to Command, so he wants to get this one just right.

The tauntaun mewls unhappily, butting at him, and Luke scolds her gently. “Hush, or I'll just have to leave. Do you want that?” She looks at him with soft, dark eyes as if actually considering the question, and Luke smiles again. “I thought not.” Then an idea occurs to him, and he chuckles. “Maybe you can actually help me. Listen to this.”

He flicks up to the top of his report and starts reading aloud. It's dry stuff, not that the animal would understand even if it were the most fascinating details of Jedi history, but she stays quiet, seeming soothed by the sound of his voice. And hearing the words spoken lets Luke analyze them in a different way, finding a handful of errors he hadn't noticed before. Soon the document is finished, and he puts the last few touches on before sending it off and looking up at his companion.

“Thanks for your help,” he tells her, scratching her neck again, and she brays in delight. Luke pulls himself to his feet, stretching and looking around. “Let's see if I can find you a treat or something...”

“Luuuuke!”

He turns at the sound of a whiny, muffled voice and finds half of his squadron standing at the entrance to the pen, mittens pressed over their noises and mouths.

“How can you stand to be in here more than you absolutely have to?” Wedge goes on, and even though he can only see half his feature, Luke can guess the rest of the dramatically disgusted face he's making.

Luke decides not to tell them about the tauntaun helping with his report. “It's warm,” he points out, and is greeting by chorus of groans. “And the company is nice.”

Tycho rolls his eyes dramatically and from behind his own makeshift face mask mumbles, “If you're interested in sentient companionship, we're headed to the mess.”

“Coming, just gimme a minute.” Luke crosses the pen and pokes around among the tack until he finds what he's looking for, a basket of half-frozen dried Gor applies, and plucks one out. He offers it to the tauntaun, who gobbles it down delightedly and sniffs at him for more. “Sorry, that's all,” he tells her with a chuckle, and looks up to see the rest of the herd crowding closer. He gives them a look. “Sure, you like me now that there are treats to be had.”

“Come _on_ , Luke,” Hobbie whines from where the others are waiting for him. “You're starting to sound like you like these animals better than us.”

“Of course not, Hobbie,” Luke assures him with a grin as he steps away from his tauntaun with a final pat. “See you in the morning for patrol and more treats afterwards, I promise.”


End file.
